News from Philadelphia, the US & the world in Jewish eyes, kosher recipes, arts reviews & more.

Six Black Churches Torched: Where is the Outrage?

— by Stosh Cotler, CEO of Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice

The rash of church burnings over the past week and a half are an outrage that harkens back to some of the darkest chapters in American history. These arsons are a painful reminder that the tragedy in Charleston was bigger than any one city or house of worship. As Americans, we must remember that Black churches have been targeted for violence throughout our history and these recent burnings are a continuation of that despicable tradition. These attacks are not isolated incidents. They are an expression of violent racism that remains all too real in twenty-first century America.

It’s deeply concerning that so little attention has been paid to these arsons, especially after how closely they followed the tragedy in Charleston. It will take all Americans declaring in one voice that ‘enough is enough’ for this hate to stop. The Jewish community, along with all those working to build a more just society, will not be silent in the face of these criminal attacks.